Esl Podcast 330 – Traveling by Bus

Samantha: Good morning. I had a few questions about buying a bus ticket. Do I need to buy one in advance?

Agent: You can, but it’s not necessary. You just need to arrive at the terminal at least an hour before the scheduled departure time to buy your ticket. Boarding begins about 15 to 30 minutes before departure.

Samantha: Can I reserve a seat?

Agent: No, seating is on a first-come, first- serve basis. I recommend getting there early during peak times, but getting a good seat isn’t usually a problem with the night service buses.

Samantha: I want to go from Charlestown to Myrtle Beach. Do you know how many stops the bus will be making?

Agent: I think that bus makes six stops to pick up passengers en route, but you can check the schedule to be sure. That doesn’t include rest stops and meal stops. If you want to make fewer stops, you can buy a ticket for one of our express buses.

Samantha: How many bags can I bring on board? I’ll have two big pieces of luggage.

Agent: You’re allowed two bags. The handler can help you load them upon boarding, but you’re responsible for retrieving them when you get off. Can I help you with anything else?

Samantha: No, thanks.

Agent: Thank you for calling and have a safe trip.

In the Underground

• Excuse me, which line do I take for Holborn, please?

• Take the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus and change to the Central.

• Where do I go now? I'm a stranger here and I'm afraid to lose my way.

• Oh, yes. The London Underground system in very complicated. There are ten lines here and it's very easy to get lost. But if you follow the direction signs you can't go wrong. Go straight down the stairs and get the lift over there.

• Thank you very much, indeed.

Esl Podcast 414 - Common Traffic Signs

Ben: Why are you squinting like that?

Lauren: I left my glasses at the office.

Ben: You mean you can't see?!

Lauren: I can see pretty well. What was that yellow sign we just passed?

Ben: It said, "Dead End." Stop! Turn around.

Lauren: I can't. That sign says, "No U- turn."

Ben: Okay, but we can't keep going. Those signs say, "Do Not Enter" and "One Way."

Lauren: Okay, fine. I'll just pull off the road and you can drive.

Ben: You can't. That sign says, "No Stopping." Hey, you just made an illegal U-turn!

Lauren: What else could I do? Anyway, we're back on track now.

Ben: Watch out for those speed bumps! You really are blind without your glasses. You're going too fast. According to that sign, this is a school crossing zone. The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour.

Lauren: That's only true when the lights are flashing. Is that a "Detour" sign?

Ben: I can't believe it. Will I never get home?

  After reading, close your book and tell your partner a summary of the dialogues. Then switch and have your partner tell his or her summary. Start like this: This dialogue is about a person asking directions to …This may seem silly, since you both already know what the dialogue is about, but the purpose is to practice using your English, not to give information or test your reading skills.